Electric switch for doorjambs



Jan. 4, 1944. H. w. BATCHELLER 2,338,481

ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR DOOR JAMES Filed Dec. 213, 1940 Patented Jan. 4, 1944 ELECTRIC SWITCH FDR DORJAMBS Hugh W. Batcheller, Newton, Mass., assigner to Standard Mfg. Co., Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December Z3, 1940, Serial No. 371,230

` 'ahsisi 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric switch ci the kind ordinarily mounted in door jambs, such a switch including a spring-pressed plunger which projects therefrom, the switch being mounted in the door jamh in such a way that the plunger is allowed to project outward.

tion as well as economy in manufacture.

wire connector.

connected thereto,

ure 1.

tion of operation.

member in the switch.

the rear end portion of the barrel.

wire connector.

member in the switch.

contour having which projects a plunger It.

(Cl. 20G-159) face of the grommet i6 is a fixed contact meme ber 20 which, as shown in Figure '7, consists of a ring or annulus of' metal having one or more contact points 22 projecting inward and bent rea;-

5 wardly out of the plane of the annulus. In plunger is pressed inward by the edge of the door embodiment of the invention shown on the draw when the door is closed and is allowed to project ing. three such contact points 22 are on the outward when the door is opened. The switch annulus 20. The working members of the switch elements are so arranged with respect to the are housed in a barrel 2li of suitable insulating plunger that the switch is open when the 10 material. The forward end oi the barrel is open plunger is pressed in and closed when the and is provided with an outward flange 2t around which is curled a rearwardly extending flange It is an object of the present invention to pro- 28 of the grommet it. The forward end edge of vide la switch of the type described in which the the barrel rests against the annulus 2d and thus parts are arranged in a novel way so as to sim l5 holds it rmly in fixed position. The rear end plify the structure and provide for reliable operaof the barrel 24 is closed as at 3B, this rear wall The and adjacent side wall being notched as indiswitch hereinafter described is characterized by cated at 32 in Figure 5. The notches are of an improved connecting device by which a consufiicient depth to form apertures in the side nection can easily be made with the circuit wire, 2o wall of the barrel to permit the entry of a conthe spring which presses the plunger being also nector v3ft secured to the end of a circuit wire 36, employed to maintain a rm Contact with the the connector comprising a flat plate or strip of copper having a central hole 33 for a purpose to For a more complete understanding of the inbe described. vention, reference may be had to the following :5 Within the barrel 24 is a compression spring description thereof, and to the drawing oi which it of bronze wire or other suitable resilient ma Figure l is a rear elevational View of a switch terial which is electrically conducting. This embodying the invention, showing a circuit wire wire spring electrically connects a movable contact member 42 and a movable terminal element Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig- 30 M within the barrel 24. The Contact member 42 may conveniently be in the form of an annu- Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure lus having a flange which iits loosely Within the 2, the plunger being shown in a different posibarrel 24, this annulus being secured to the plunger hl. As shown, the plunger ll is of Figure 4 is a perspective view of a contact 35 plastic material which has been molded into the opening of the annulus so that the Contact mem-- Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of ber and plunger are virtually a unitary member.

The forward end portion oi the spring is re- Figure 6 is a perspective View of the circuit ceived in the space between the side of the 40 plunger I4 and the skirt or flange of the member Figure l is a perspective View oi' a hired contact i2. The spring presses the member 42 against the contact points 22 of the fixed member 2Q ex- As indicated in Figure 2, the switch may comcept when the plunger M is pushed inward by a prise an escutcheon plate il! of suitable size and greater force than that of the spring.

central aperture l2 through 45 At the other end of the spring it is the mov- A grommet I6 is seable terminal element 44 which, as shown, may cured against the rear face of the plate il) in be in the form of a metal cup slidably tted withregistry with the aperture l2, this grommet being in the barrel M This @up preferably has a cenheld in iixed position by any suitable means. trai boss 4S projecting rearwardly so as to bear Preferably the edges of the aperture l2 are 50 against the rear wall im of the barrel. The sides turned in to overlap the inner edges of the of this boss are sloping, so that when the congrommet as at i8 so as to hold the grommet senector plate 34 is thrust into one of the notches curely in position, The curled inner edge H3 oi 32 of the barrel, its leading end rides on the slopthe plate it also provides a smooth rounded suring side face of the boss 45, pushing the terminal Against the rear 55 member 44 sufliciently forward to permit the face to guide the plunger 14.

connector 34 to slide into the position indicated in Figures 1 and 2. The boss 46 thereupon is pressed into the hole 38 in the connector 34, thus holding the connector yieldably in place. While the connector is in place, the spring 40 presses the terminal member 44 firmly against the connector 34, thus maintaining a good electrical connection. At the same time the spring presses the movable contact member 42 in the opposite direction against the contact points 22 unless the plunger I4 is pushed inward by a door edge or otherwise. In the embodiment of the invention shown, the plate l0 is to be grounded so that the current passes through the spring 40 When the switch is closed by contact'of the member 42 with the contact points 22.

It is evident that various changes and modications may be made in the embodiments of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric switch comprising a barrel of insulating material open at one end, a ring secured against the open end of the barrel, said ring having a central aperture and a plurality of spaced, rearwardly bent contact points around the aperture, a plunger extending into the barrel through said aperture, a cup-shaped contact member carried by said plunger and adapted to bear against the Contact points of said ring, a cup-shaped terminal element seated in the closed end of said barrel and adapted to bear against a connector, and a compression spring having its ends seated respectively in said contact member and said terminal member.

2. An electric switch comprising a barrel of insulating material open at one end and having an outer ange at the open end, a ring bearing against said open end of the barrel and provided with a series of inwardly and rearwardly projecting contact elements, a gromrnet overlying said ring and secured to said ilange to hold the ring in place, an escutcheon plate overlying said grommet, said ring, grommet and plate having apertures alined with the axis of said barrel, the inner edges of the plate around its aperture being curled around the inner edges of said grommet to secure the plate to the grommet, a plunger extending into said barrel through said apertures, and switch means within said barrel op` erable by movement of said plunger.

3. An electric switch comprising a barrel of insulating material having an end wall at one end only and lateral apertures adjacent to said end wall for the insertion of a connector, a terminal element within said barrel movable against said end Wall, a second terminal element xed to the other end of said barrel, a compression spring in said barrel adapted to press said elements in opposite directions and to connect them electrically, and a plunger projecting from within said barrel through said end of the 4barrel and movable inward against the pressure of said spring to move the adjacent end of the spring away from said fixed terminal element.

HUGH W. BATCHELLER. 

